Thank you, and single player campaign details!

Hello everyone! I have to say, first of all, that I'm blown away by all the support you've given this project in the first 24 hours. We've blown past 10% funding, blown past 150 backers, and--in short--have made me very happy. Let's keep the momentum going!

A few of you have asked me to add more digital reward tiers: you can expect to see two new ones added later tonight.

Meanwhile, more than a few of you have asked me for more details about the Telepath Tactics single player campaign. If you want to know more about the world, characters and plot of the official campaign, then this post is for you: read on!

The World

South of mainland Cera Bella lies a giant string of islands known as the Dundar Archipelago. The Dundar isles number in the hundreds, and stretch across thousands of square miles of ocean. In the earliest times, each island was largely isolated, its inhabitants—if there were any—left to develop a unique culture untouched by its neighbors.

Eight hundred years ago, Ser Gilliam Dundar changed that. Making use of new sailing and navigation technologies, he led a massive army on a whirlwind conquest of the archipelago, absorbing island after island into a sprawling empire that would endure for centuries. With no unifying culture to bind them, Emperor Dundar and his successors have required a deft hand to keep tensions among the islands under control.

The Dundar Empire is ruled over by a popularly elected senate. After serving their terms, former senators are given the title magistrate and are appointed as provincial governors, typically with control over one or more isles. However, the Senate can--in exceptional circumstances--remove a magistrate from office and assign his land to someone else.

The rise of steam technology has caused problems for Dundar's political system. Steam tech is powered by vibra, a volatile crystal that heats up dramatically when exposed to a spark. The geological strata beneath many of Dundar's islands contain rich veins of vibra.

Shadowlings, disembodied creatures from the nether reaches of the earth, were the first to discover the secrets of vibra mining. They established sophisticated and powerful mining companies to extract vibra from the earth wherever it may be found. Though native to mainland Cera Bella, the shadowlings have increasingly found it profitable to meddle in the Dundar isles in order to gain access to their veins of vibra.

Specifically, the shadowlings have been known to interfere in Senate elections by funneling financial support to whichever candidate looks more likely to win, then returning when the senator becomes a magistrate and asking permission to mine on the magistrate's islands. Not surprisingly, they usually get this permission.

The Story

Magistrate Schmendrick received a lot of money from The Vibra Mining Company back when he was running for Senate. He won, he served his term, and he was given the power to govern a group of three islands. Among these islands was Kovit, known for having a particularly rich supply of vibra.

Had Schmendrick kept up his end of the unspoken bargain between himself and the company, things would have been simple. The Vibra Mining Co. would have shown up with dozens of slaves, established mines, and begun quietly extracting vibra. Magistrate Schmendrick would have been allowed to live out the rest of his days in peace.

Schmendrick made a mistake, however. When the Vibra Mining Company came calling for its mining grant, he did not simply give it to them. He solicited bids and held public hearings, in accordance with the law. And now he is in a world of trouble...

Characters

Commander Crowe -- Onetime master of the spear, Commander Crowe is a grizzled veteran of many campaigns. After offending a superior officer several years ago, Crowe was assigned to run the far-flung Fort Longbriar on the Isle of Kovit. He's taken to the task with his usual gruff, no-nonsense attitude, but his post is a punishment and he knows it.

Emma Strider -- A budding swordsman and aspiring commander, Emma Strider is native of Ploutos, capital of Kovit. Emma doesn't remember her biological parents; she and her sister, Sabrina, were taken in at a young age and raised by a city librarian. Though educated and well-spoken by virtue of her upbringing, Emma has long been drawn to the study of warfare. She signed up with the Magistrate's army at the first opportunity, and was assigned to Fort Longbriar. Driven and ambitious, Emma shows potential as an officer but risks alienating those closest to her with her single-minded focus on career advancement.

Sabrina Strider -- As Emma Strider's younger sister, Sabrina grew up in Emma's shadow. Rebellious and blunt, Sabrina rejected books early on and instead focused on honing her fighting skills. She is a deadly swordsman, though she lacks the political graces necessary to capitalize on her talents. Sabrina secretly longs for Emma's approval; she followed her into the Magistrate's army, and clings to her in a way that Emma finds irritating.

Alvin Schmendrick -- Alvin is the son of Magistrate Schmendrick. His father has been grooming Alvin for a career in politics for many years, though Alvin has come to resent his father's control. A skilled cavalier, Alvin was sent to Fort Longbriar to train and build up a military career. His mount, Beulah, is a giant mantis that Alvin has cared for since childhood. Alvin is impulsive and disdainful of country life, with a particular (and somewhat ironic) dislike for insects.

There are many more characters to talk about, and much more to the story. We'll look at more of this stuff later. Stay tuned, folks!

Comments

While you don't offer that much about the story, I like the gist of what you have here. It sounds like you and I have been inspired by some of the same things. That said, I am curious; will the story be linear or are you planning on having divergent paths?